Service support worker jobs in ipswich, greater london

Job Description

Spires was established as a response to homelessness in the late 1980s. Initially providing a hot meal, clothing, and advice to those who came for help, Spires has developed into an organization that provides a range of services, including day centre style drop ins for homeless people, a Women’s drop in, a Refugee drop in and outreach targeted at supporting Women who are sex working. 

Our core mission is to support homeless people into housing and to assist those who have been homeless in maintaining their accommodation, reducing the risks they face, and increasing their choices. We assess need, create support plans, and provide ongoing key work to empower people to improve their circumstances.

Purpose of Role:

• Support the effective delivery of Spires services across the range of activities provided, 
• Provide casework, support planning, and key working sessions for Spires’ clients.
• Assess and respond to client needs, ensuring high-quality, person-centred support.

Position in Organisation:

Part of the Spires Support Team, reporting to the Head of Clients Services. This is a new position and will work across all of Spires’ services. 

Working Contacts:

• Internal: Collaboration with staff and volunteers, particularly the head of client Services, Service Coordinators, and other support workers.
• External: Direct engagement with vulnerable individuals and coordination with partner agencies as part of a multi-agency approach.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensure smooth and safe running of drop-in sessions in collaboration with staff and volunteers.
• Welcome and assess new clients, providing appropriate support and referrals.
• Maintain a psychologically informed environment and manage challenging behaviours effectively.
• Supervise and support volunteers.

Outreach and Support Work:

• Engage with individuals in various settings to connect them with relevant services.
• Conduct needs assessments, crisis interventions, and ongoing support planning.
• Assist clients in achieving support plan goals, including attending appointments.
• Work with partner agencies to coordinate multi-agency support.

Information Management:

• Maintain accurate, GDPR-compliant client records and case notes.
• Report safeguarding concerns and contribute to service improvements.
• Keep up to date with sector developments and best practices.

General Duties:

• Adhere to Spires’ policies and contribute to organisational development.
• Engage in personal development and team collaboration.
• Undertake other duties as required, including session cover.

Person Specification:

Essential Experience:

• Supporting people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
• Working with vulnerable adults with complex needs.
• Managing a caseload within a support setting.
• Maintaining professional boundaries while managing challenging behaviour.
• Liaising with service providers to improve client access to support.

Desirable Experience:

• Working with volunteers.
• Supporting individuals engaged in high-risk activities.

Essential Knowledge:

• Understanding issues faced by vulnerable individuals, including those in high-risk activities.
• Trauma-informed practice and safeguarding principles.
• Confidentiality, data protection, and social care services.

Desirable Knowledge:

• NVQ2/3 or equivalent in a relevant field.
• Understanding of health promotion and sexual health.
• Current UK  Driver Licence

Essential Skills and Qualities:

• Flexibility to work varied hours, including evenings.
• Strong communication and IT skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage time effectively, and work independently.
• Commitment to inclusivity and equality.

Summary of Terms and Conditions:

• Location: Based at Spires’ Offices, 5 Stockwell Mews, SW9 9GX
• Probation: Six-month probation period.
• Notice: One week’s notice during probation, four weeks thereafter.
• Annual Leave: 35 days pro rata (including bank holidays and three closure days over Christmas).
• Pension: Employer contribution of 5%, employee contribution of 3%.
• Other Benefits: Life and income protection insurance for eligible employees.
• Expenses: Travel expenses reimbursed as per policy.
• Safeguarding: Adherence to Spires’ safeguarding policy; subject to a DBS check.

this is rolling recruitment and we will be actively interviewing throughout the recruitment process.

​

Treasures Foundation provides housing and support for women recovering from addiction, trauma, and involvement with the criminal justice system. We help women rebuild their lives through safe housing, access to essential services, and programmes focused on rehabilitation and long-term recovery. Our mission is to empower women to thrive in their communities and build a brighter future.

We are now seeking an experienced Waking Night Keyworker to oversee all aspects of our first stage housing during the night, based at our Newham, East London homes from 10pm to 8am. The main role is to support the residents in daily living activities of an evening and morning and be available for support throughout the night. Staff will also be expected to maintain professional development through online training and maintain the monitoring system ensuring it is up to date.

Key Responsibilities

The Waking Night Keyworker will report directly to the Specialist Support Manager and will play a critical role in maintaining the effective running of Treasures Foundation’s supported housing. The core responsibilities include:

Beneficiary support

· Support beneficiaries in the evening, communicating with them about their day or any difficulties that have arisen for them

·Take a holistic approach to support beneficiary needs, seeking and highlighting opportunities for change at the individual’s and project level

· Remain awake for the entirety of the shift, aside from a two hour break, ensuring you are available for beneficiaries to approach if needed

· Interact with the beneficiaries in the morning

· Verbal and written handover to staff in the morning

Reporting and Compliance

· Use on call if needed in an emergency

·  Ensure our monitoring system Lamplight is up to date

· Complete online training

· Gather data for monitoring and evaluation

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have a passion for working in the charity sector. They will be proactive, solution-oriented, and able to manage competing priorities in a sometimes challenging environment.

Essential Skills and Experience:

·  Flexible attitude with the ability to understand and implement policies and procedures, keeping the beneficiary at the heart of the work

· Demonstrable experience of lone working in a similar environment

· Excellent organisational and time-management skills

· Strong communication skills, with the ability to present information clearly to other staff members

· IT literate

Desirable Skills and Experience:

· Evidence of trauma informed qualifications or experience

What We Offer

· The opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of women recovering from addiction and trauma.

· A supportive and passionate team dedicated to creating lasting change.

· Opportunities for professional development through training and teaching.

· Therapy for staff

· Regular Supervision

Client Support Worker

Location: W12 7DA
Department: Customer Services
Salary: £30,000 (Up to)
Hours: 37.5 per week
Job Type: Full time
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract

Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank is looking for a compassionate and proactive Client Support Worker to support our Tackling Destitution Together project, in partnership with Citizens Advice H&F.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a new, one-year pilot focused on addressing the factors which prevent effective early intervention in the borough and lead to high numbers of disabled people reaching crisis and destitution.

You will work directly with individuals referred by local agencies, taking time to understand their situation, identify root causes, and build personalised plans that connect them to the right support. This role involves ‘handholding’ – a flexible and responsive approach that adapts to each person’s needs to help them move towards long-term stability and independence.

You’ll be part of a small, committed project team aiming to strengthen early intervention in the borough. Your role will include working closely with referring partners, signposting to services, and contributing to data and research to help us understand what works and why.

Your experience will show a strong ability to build trust, navigate complex systems, and work in partnership with other organisations. You’ll be a clear communicator, well-organised, and motivated by making a meaningful difference in people’s lives before crisis hits.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide one-to-one support to clients, carrying out assessments and continued casework support, connecting clients to the right services.
• Deliver practical, personalised help to prevent crisis and support long-term stability.
• Manage referrals, record casework, and track outcomes using AdvicePro.
• Build strong links with referral partners and support the wider project team.
• Follow safeguarding procedures and contribute to a safe, effective service.

What You’ll Bring:

• A good understanding of the issues and the systems affecting those at risk of poverty. We do not expect advice-level experience, and this is not an adviser role.
• Experience of working on a 121 basis with disadvantaged, vulnerable or excluded people and have knowledge of local/national advice.
• Experience of working with a variety of stakeholders, preferably within the voluntary sector, including having worked within a team of staff and volunteers.

What We’ll Offer:

• Full time hours (37.5) per week, fixed-term contract of 12 months
• Competitive salary of up to £30,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
• 33 days of annual leave
• Pension scheme
• Competitive benefits
• Opportunities for professional growth.

Application Deadline:

The closing date for applications is initially set for Monday 9th June, but depending on the number of applications received, we may bring this forward. We encourage early applications.

Further details:

Location: Based at The Hub, 75 Bloemfontein Road, London W12 7DA, with regular visits to Foodbank centres and warehouse. Open to some flexible and hybrid working by agreement.

Requirements: An Enhanced Criminal Records check is required for this role as we work with vulnerable people in society.

Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank is an Equal Opportunities employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all staff and volunteers. We serve a diverse part of London and would particularly welcome applications from residents of Hammersmith and Fulham.

Strictly no agencies, please.

About Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank:

We are the Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank, an independent charity and proud member of the Trussell Trust Foodbank Network. Our mission is the prevention and relief from poverty. We provide a range of essential services, offering professional advice through our partners such as Citizens Advice H&F and Anchor Counselling. We believe in helping 'the whole person' when possible and aim to respond quickly to the needs we see around us.

REF-221748

The Sanctuary (Crisis Café) is a service for all residents experiencing emotional distress. The café is weekdays during the evening and at weekends in the afternoon. We provide initial support meetings both face to face and via the telephone, workign with clients to resolve immediate distress, and explore coping mechanisms. We then coproduce support plans with clients and offer 121’s, counselling, peer support groups and workshops as well as a social place to be.  

The support worker will be experienced in working with people in distress or who have mental health issues, highly organised and have excellent people skills.  

Are you a trusted Arabic-speaking adviser with strong community links? We’re looking for someone with experience, empathy, and an existing client base to help us launch a dedicated advice service for Arabic-speaking residents in West London.

You’ll lead on providing tailored advice and support to Arabic-speaking individuals and families, focusing on the most urgent needs in the community — from housing and welfare to digital skills and healthy living. This is a rare opportunity to shape a new bilingual service within a respected community organisation with a long track record of delivering high-quality support to racially minoritised groups.

Main duties:

 

· Deliver a bilingual advice, information and support service in Arabic and English to members of racially minoritised communities in Kensington and Chelsea and neighbouring boroughs, with a focus on housing, utilities, energy saving, welfare benefits, employability, healthy lifestyles, support for disabled people and carers, basic digital literacy skills, and related issues (NOT including medical, legal, or immigration-related advice)  

· Provide non-regulated money guidance (NOT including financial advice services regulated by the FCA) after appropriate training

· Signpost or refer clients to other service providers as appropriate

· Maintain individual files on all clients and all action taken, using Advice Pro software

· Undertake appropriate training

· Provide digital literacy training or support to service users through workshops and/or one-to-one instruction, after appropriate training

· Arrange and facilitate workshops for service users, where applicable

· Work cooperatively with other staff and volunteers

· Produce regular updates on work for the Director / Deputy Director and the Management Committee

· Participate in supervisions, performance appraisals, file reviews, and internal meetings

· Undertake other reasonable tasks as required

 

Description

We would like someone who is passionate about supporting young people from ages 10 to 18. The person would have experience in leading detached and youth club sessions in the delivery of high-quality and exciting activities which contribute to personal and social development.

Job Purpose : To plan, deliver and evaluate youth club activities for young people and ensure that all safeguarding, regulatory and health & safety requirements are met.To actively engage young people in informal learning opportunitiesthat promote their physical, mental, social and emotional development.

Hours of work:35 hours per week , Monday to Friday 9.am to 5.pm (occasional weekend working) to include                 minimum 3 evenings per week up to 9pm

Location:East Surrey areas including Caterham, Horley, Reigate, Redhill, Merstham and Tadworth.

Salary: £26,780 - £29,974

Annual leave:Five weeks plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part time workers) Holidays increase after two years’ service to a maximum of six weeks after six years’ service.  (pro-rata for part time workers)

The holiday year runs from 1 April to 31 March each year.

Benefits:

Free Gym Membership: The post holder will be entitled to free use of the YMCA East Surrey fitness centre in Redhill and half price YMCA childcare for dependents.Excellent training and professional development opportunities

Free Parking: There is free parking available at all our delivery site. YMCA East Surrey also operates a Bike to Work Scheme.

Pension Scheme: There is a YMCA East Surrey pension scheme - details available on request.

Closing date:27thJune 2025

Interview date : W/C 7thJuly2025

A great opportunity to coordinate services for adult carers experiencing mental health issues in Merton, South West London.

Jigsaw4u is a charity with a proud 27 year history in supporting mental health and wellbeing in South West London. We are seeking a support worker who shares our values and person-centred approach, and who is passionate about helping adult carers (those with caring responsibilities).

This role presents an exellent opportunity to gain experience in, and knowledge of, social support work and mental health services, and would provide a great first step for those interested in building a career in this area.

The role is 4 days (28 hours) per week. Full time (35 hours per week) may be available if required.

Role in Context

Jigsaw4u’s Carers Peer Support Service supports adult carers in the London Borough of Merton through emotional support and access to information, opportunities and practical advice.

Working alongside other VCSE peer support providers in the Borough, other carer organisations or providers of statutory carers work, the post holder will work on improving pathways and coordinating services for adult carers experiencing mental health issues, often as a direct result of caring.  The post holder should have lived experience of being a carer, or of mental health challenges experienced by themselves or a close friend or family member

 

1. Purpose of the job

Be responsible in the designated area for:

• Delivery of one-to-one and group peer support sessions designed for and by adult carers
• Collecting data and reporting on direct work delivered with adult carers
• Collaborative working with the Merton Peer Support Partnership
• Developing and enhancing relationships with strategic partners
• Maintaining and striving to improve service delivery standards and effectiveness

1. Main duties

• Providing emotional and wellbeing support for carers through one-to-one, person-centred interventions
• Working flexibility to support carers aged 18 and over, who are caring for someone with mental health difficulties or experiencing mental health issues, often as a direct result of caring
• Empower and support carers to become involved in local Mental Health developments, particularly within SWLSTG
• Encourage and assist the uptake of Carers Assessments and the ability of carers and their families to assess their own needs to develop solutions and manage resources
• Assist carers in accessing opportunities for breaks from caring through activities within the partner organisations and external agencies
• Delivering time-limited, outcome-focused interventions to support personal outcomes so carers feel emotionally and practically supported
• Group-based support to address intended specific outcomes
• Encouraging access to local services to promote community inclusion and connectedness, enabling sustainable recovery and support
• Practical support to help carers access the right services and support based on needs, preferences, and the options available
• Evaluation of interventions provided through use of Outcomes Star and other
• agreed measurement tools
• To assist the Service Manager in creating monitoring reports
• To attend professional/monitoring meetings if required

Due to a recent restructure within the organisation, BVSC are seeking a Children & Young Person Community Connect Wellbeing coordinator, who is passionate about improving health and wellbeing within Bexley.

In this role, you will work within a team to empower residents to access local charities, community groups, and services. Working alongside healthcare professionals and local organisations, you’ll help create personalised action plans, provide ongoing support, and ensure that everyone receives the care and guidance they need.

Salary: £34,814 - £38,683

Job Level: 4A

Job Type: Permanent

Hours: 35 hours per week 

Shifts: Term Time: Monday – Thursday & Sunday (including some evening work). School Holidays: Monday – Friday.

Accountable to: Head of Children and Family Services

Department: Children and Family Services

Location: The Hub, Finchley

Do you have experience of leading teams in delivering high quality, responsive, holistic services for neurodivergent children and young people? Perhaps you have previously worked within special educational needs settings or residential settings with young people? Do you have a natural ability to lead, motivate and influence others with initiative and enthusiasm? If so, this role may be of interest to you!

About The Hub and Short Breaks service:

For over 20 years Norwood has run a Short Break service called Unity for young people on Sundays and during school holidays. Many families have benefited from this service, and it remains popular with families and local authority commissioners. There is a waiting list of children and young people across Barnet and Herts who wish to access this provision.

That’s why as part of our recently launched strategy, we’re expanding the Short Break Service offering, to support families and young people with a variety of choice and cohort-based opportunities including after school clubs. The opening of the Hub allows the expansion of activities throughout the week, term-time, and during school holidays, evenings and weekends.

With a recent refurbishment, we can now offer a location dedicated to supporting children throughout the week. The building has outdoor space, a sensory room, kitchen, activity rooms and multipurpose spaces which allow children the opportunity to thrive in a bespoke space for them.

The Children and Family Service Department will deliver an ambitious Whole Family Centred, Strengths and Needs Based Model to empower children, young people, and their families. This expert-led coordinated approach underpinned by robust governance and outcome and impact measures will seek to ensure families with a neurodivergent or neurodevelopmentally disabled child can realise their full potential and thrive. The objectives for each team member will be clear, ensuring a meaningful and positive impact on those accessing the services, with consistency in support and communications, and the ability to access services required effectively.

About the role:

This is one of a number of new vacancies being recruited as part of a dedicated team for the further development of the Hub and Short Breaks offering to extend the reach to more children and young people throughout the week. 

As the Hub and Short Breaks Operations Manager, you will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the service, plus take the lead in the growth and development of the service to maximize the reach and opportunities for young people within the community. The role will ensure the service is compliant with Ofsted, offers a varied timetable with clear criteria for each club/activity, undertakes referrals and assessments and works collaboratively with wider Norwood colleagues to flex, grow and change to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. 

You will utilise your existing experience of operational, funding, budget and staff management, plus knowledge of children and young people curriculum to take ownership in shaping and driving the future of our Short Breaks provision through extensive strategic development and innovative ideas for our weekday, weekend and holiday programmes, ensuring Norwood continually responds to the wishes, aspirations and needs reflected by the young people we support to provide a meaningful, flexible and creative offering. 

You will be responsible for all aspects of the management and delivery of the service including the management and recruitment of a team of permanent sessional workers, ad hoc sessional workers and volunteers. You will assess the suitability of young people to participate in the provision, design and develop choice and cohort-based sessions, whilst working within the framework of OFSTED to ensure quality and compliance.

Benefits at Norwood include:

• The opportunity to work for a leading UK charity
• Competitive salary & benefits package
• 21 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays and Jewish festivals where they fall on a working day and work is not permitted (FTE)
• Workplace Pension Scheme: Plan for your future with confidence.
• Employee Assistance Programme: We care about your well-being.
• £300 When You Introduce a Friend: Spread the word and reap the rewards.
• Free Eye test & Eyewear allowance
• Access to ‘Blue Light’ discount scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Excellent career progression pathway
• Enhanced benefits coming in July 2025

Essential skills and experience:

• Ability to commit to a full-time role with flexibility, covering the shifts required
• Significant experience of working with neurodivergent children, young people and parents/carers and of facilitating an inclusive child-centred service
• Experience of working in partnership with other agencies and organisations, with awareness of the support and advice which may be offered
• Recent experience of managing contract compliance with a demonstrable knowledge of regulatory frameworks (Ofsted, CQC contract compliance etc) and how to put these into practice
• Experience of financial and budget management
• An appropriate qualification at Level 3 or equivalent
• Knowledge and understanding of the range of interventions and approaches that can be used to support disabled children and young people
• An understanding of various communication aids including Makaton, PECS, AAC etc
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures
• A team player with strong leadership skills who enjoys working with others to achieve shared goals
• Excellent communication skills with a flexible style to communicate with people in a form and manner that is consistent with their level of understanding, culture, background and preferred ways of communicating
• Excellent time management skills who can work under pressure to meet deadlines
• Flexibility, initiative and the ability to respond appropriately to child and family needs
• Excellent active listening and problem-solving skills
• Embraces change and responds positively to new opportunities
• Motivates colleagues to understand the importance of inclusion and encourage them to improve standards of inclusive practice
• Design and deliver innovative sessions to support neurodivergent young people to develop new skills in a fun environment
• Develops and maintains mutually beneficial working relationships with key delivery partners
• Experience using observation to inform assessment and planning
• Flexibility, initiative and the ability to respond appropriately to child and family needs

About Norwood:

Founded in 1795, Norwood is the oldest Jewish charity in the UK. We support and empower neurodiverse children, their families and people with neurodevelopmental disabilities to live their best lives.

Click here to find out more about Norwood. 

Our Norwood Values and Behaviours underpin everything we do as we continue to support and empower neurodiverse children, their families and people with neurodevelopmental disabilities to live their best lives: 

Here is a short Norwood video highlighting the vital work we do and the people we support.

If this opportunity interests you, please apply today and our Recruitment team will be in touch.

We reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Due to the high number of candidates who apply to our roles at Norwood, please note we can only provide feedback following an interview, if shortlisted.

We actively celebrate everyone's different abilities, sexual orientation, ethnicity, faith, and gender. Everyone is welcome and supported in their development at all stages in their journey with us.

Job Title: Refuge Worker

Location: This is an onsite role, located within the London Borough of Hounslow, there may be a requirement to occasionally work in the London Borough of Hillingdon.
Salary: £28,857.12 per annum (Inclusive of London Weighting, which may not be applicable depending on your home location)

Contract type: Full Time, Fixed Term (Until Feb 2026)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Refuge Worker to provide high quality practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic violence and their children living in our refuges.

The post holder will provide high quality practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic violence and their children living in our refuges. This includes safety planning and enabling women to access housing, welfare, benefits, and legal advice. A key requirement is to provide personal welfare support and to ensure that women are provided with a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment in accordance with Refuge’s philosophical principles. 

As part of this role, you will be required to participate in an out-of-hours on call rota

Please note that this post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 11 June 2025

Interview date: 18 and 19 June 2025

Refuge is the UK’s largest provider of specialist services, and we are proud to be a leader in our field and an employer of choice, with leading edge systems for supervision, quality management and development. 

Refuge offers a variety of exciting opportunities to learn, develop and grow in your career. We recognise the value everyone brings to the organisation to achieve our aims and are dedicated to developing and rewarding our staff. More details of our benefits can be found in Job Information Pack.

Location: Bexley

Salary: £28,255 - £29,913 per annum

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Contract: Fixed Term Contract/Full Time

Closing Date: 2nd June 2025

Interview Date: 13th June 2025

This job description may change to reflect changing requirements of the role.

About Us

Solace Women’s Aid is an innovative, exciting, grassroots charity working across London. Our purpose is to bring to an end the harm done through domestic and sexual violence to all survivors, and in particular women and children. Our work is holistic and empowering, working alongside survivors to achieve independent lives free from abuse.

You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has saved the lives of thousands of women, men and children in. We are looking for friendly and diligent individuals to join our services and help us make a difference.

About the Service

Solace Women’s Aid provides a wide range of services to victim/survivors of domestic and sexual abuse in Islington including a large advocacy and support service and specialist projects co-located in a number of services.

About the Role

We are seeking Global Majority Worker to provide support and advocacy to women aged 16 years and over from the global majority and have suffered domestic and/or sexual violence, racial inequality or oppression.

You will be working as part of a multidisciplinary team and collaborating with external agencies in your work and completing outreach with faith based groups and churches to ensure our service is accessible for this marginalised group of women. In this role you will work as part of the Bexley Solace Advocacy and Support Service (SASS), providing support to high-risk survivors of domestic abuse in the borough. In addition to this, you will work in partnership with local agencies in order to provide the best support for our service users.

About You

We're looking for highly organised and self-motivated applicants who are passionate about ending VAWG and safeguarding. You will have a “can-do‟ approach and demonstrable commitment to Solace’s feminist approach to supporting women and their children to be safer. You will receive training and support for this role as necessary. Ideal candidates will have demonstrable experience of working with victims of domestic and/or sexual violence in a multi-agency setting and a working knowledge of the criminal and civil justice systems.

Successful applicants will have in-depth knowledge of domestic abuse and its impact on women and children, demonstrable substantial experience in providing emotional and practical support to victims of VAWG. A relevant qualification in VAWG or significant experience is desirable but not essential.         

In return, we offer great employee benefits including three per cent employer pension contribution, generous holiday entitlement and a focus on learning and development.

Solace Women’s Aid values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

Solace is a Disability Confident employer.

This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to women applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

An enhanced DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) disclosure will be required for this role.

We request no contact from recruitment agencies.

Closing Date: 2nd June 2025.

Location: London
Department: Big Issue Frontline
Contract type: Fixed Term Contract
Hours: 35
Salary: £25,207 per annum
 
Big Issue Changing Lives CIC is looking for an Support and Outreach Assistant to support the direct the direct delivery of services to individuals participating in Big Issue enterprises, including selling the Big Issue magazine. The core of the role is facilitating access for members of our Roma Communities to the Hand Up Service and other local services, resources and networks required to address the barriers they are facing to moving forwards out of poverty. Where local services and resources are not available you will also support the Outreach Team with the delivery of information, guidance and some direct interventions, such as training sessions, directly.
 
This is self-starter role in which you’ll be responsible for connecting with potential service users within the Roma community, introducing the service to them, sharing information from our Hand Up plus services and supporting them to engage with the core Hand Up service. You’ll be working within a small team of Outreach workers and will work to maintain a set of Service Standards which help maintain the quality of the service nationally.
 
The role is highly flexible and no two days are the same. You’ll bring your own experience and knowledge to the role, as well as your ability to speak Romanian. We will support you to build on that through an ongoing training and development programme which aims to ensure all Hand Up Service Team members have up to date, relevant, knowledge in key areas including housing, benefits, debt, immigration and more. In the course of a day, you’ll usually be working with service users across multiple of these issues and supporting engagement with a wide range of external agencies such as health services, local authorities, charities and more, to get access to services for those you are supporting.
 
Your main roles and responsibilities will be:

• Undertake phone and in person outreach to introduce the Hand Up service to Roma Big Issues vendors
• Delivery of direct intervention to Roma vendors using guidance and resources provided
• Join meetings with Roma Vendors and Outreach Workers to support with action planning and provision of support and guidance
• Support with translation and interpretation within your local team to enable accessibility of the service for Roma vendors
• Support the local Hand Up Service to build current knowledge of local and national agencies that can support Roma vendors
• Support the organisation and delivery with Roma Vendors of 1-2-1 and group training sessions and drop-ins
• Ensure that your work meets service standards and targets and complete surveys with vendors as required
• Involving Roma service users in the service design and delivery as local and national opportunities arise
• Adhere to all required policies and procedures including with regards to safeguarding, lone and safe working, case work management and expenses and finances
• Undertake any other duties as required by your manager (within reasonable expectations)

 
You need to be:
 

• Passionate about and committed to supporting those living in poverty
• Confident communicator face to face and on the phone in both Romanian and English, with ability to convey information clearly
• Able to build rapport with diverse individuals from the Roma community
• Knowledge and understanding of the challenges and inequalities that individuals from the Roma community may face in the UK
• Excellent time management and very organised, with the ability to complete tasks by agreed deadlines
• Good data entry skills
• Able to represent the organisation to other professionals and partner agencies
• Able to work with individuals in both one to one and group formats
• Able to follow guidelines and work within policies, seeking support from line manager as needed
• Willing to work in flexible locations including our community office, as well as visiting vendors at pitches and attending community meetings. This role is not suitable for home- based working.

 
Please use your cover letter to demonstrate how you meet each of the following requirements. We recommend addressing each requirement specifically within your application. Voluntary experience and lived experience are welcome as evidence of your relevant experience, knowledge and skills, as well as any work experience.
 
The role is offered as full time and fixed term until the 31st March 2026.
 
Salary and Benefits offered

• Salary of £25,207 per annum.
• Incremental holiday entitlement starting at 25 days per year plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part time staff) plus paid leave to care for a sick child or grandchild and a sick or elderly relation
• Company Sick Pay
• Enhanced contribution to our workplace pension
• Enhanced maternity pay
• Training and development opportunities including an open learning library and management training schemes
• Health benefits include life cover, a health cash plan scheme which provides access to counselling and a range of therapies
• Please note that we reserve the right to review and amend our staff benefits and they do not form part of any contract of employment
• Blue Light Card benefit scheme

 
Workplace details
 
This role is based at either our Big Issue office in Finsbury Park, London, but you will be mostly be working out and about within the community.
 
Closing date - 08 June 2025 (23:59pm). Please note that we may interview before the role is closed so please apply asap.
 
Big Issue Group is striving towards Equal Opportunities. We particularly welcome applications from those who are underrepresented in our sector, such as women in senior roles, and people with disabilities and from Black and Minority Ethnic communities.
 
Since 1991, The Big Issue has fought poverty by creating opportunities and supporting people to take control of their lives. Over time our organisation has grown and now The Big Issue Group consists of The Big Issue Company Ltd and Big Issue Invest Ltd (our social investment arm). In addition, we also have our sister charity The Big Issue Foundation.
 
REF-221620

PRHA is a great place to work – Our award-winning teams work together to improve the lives of our residents and make a real contribution to ending homelessness. As an IIP Gold standard employer, we value our staff and commit to develop their skills and support them in their important work.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Team leader within one of our specialist services. We are looking for self-starters with a passion for sparking change in people’s lives. You will have the necessary skill set to empower people and support residents to achieve their goals.

PRHA hostels guarantee a fast-paced, challenging and dynamic environment where no two days are ever the same. We are seeking motivated and energetic individuals to join our teams and help our residents to change their lives for the better.

We are looking for:

Respnsibilities: Please see attached JD

What we offer

We offer our staff a generous benefits package, which includes:

• Pension Scheme – We offer a group stakeholder pension scheme with 3% employer's contribution, employee contribution is 5%
• Holidays - Employees receive up to 22 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising with long service
• Medical – we provide a “Cash Back" Scheme for a range of services such as dental, physio, chiropody, health& wellbeing
• Training Programmes – We provide comprehensive training to our employees to enable them to grow in their career and achieve their professional aspirations.
• Season Ticket Loans – We offer interest-free season ticket loans after successful probation
• Life Assurance - Upon death whilst in service, a Death in Service payment may be made according to the scheme rules. The payment covers 3 times of the employee’s annual salary.

How to apply

Please read the full Job Description & Person Specification which can be found on our website. To apply, please send your CV and Supporting Statement to outlining your interest in working for PRHA and explaining how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description & Person Specification. Please send your CV and Supporting Statement by clicking the Apply Now button. Furthermore, applications with no attached personal statement explaining how you meet the job description will not be considered.

It is required for this post that the successful candidates will have to complete an enhanced DBS disclosure check.

Job Title: Refuge Worker

Location: This is an onsite role, located within the London Borough of Hounslow, there may be a requirement to occasionally work in the London Borough of Hillingdon.
Salary: £28,857.12 per annum (Inclusive of London Weighting, which may not be applicable depending on your home location)

Contract type: Full Time, Fixed Term (Until Feb 2026)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Refuge Worker to provide high quality practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic violence and their children living in our refuges.

The post holder will provide high quality practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic violence and their children living in our refuges. This includes safety planning and enabling women to access housing, welfare, benefits, and legal advice. A key requirement is to provide personal welfare support and to ensure that women are provided with a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment in accordance with Refuge’s philosophical principles. 

As part of this role, you will be required to participate in an out-of-hours on call rota

Please note that this post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 5 June 2025

Interview date: 11,12,13 June 2025

Refuge is the UK’s largest provider of specialist services, and we are proud to be a leader in our field and an employer of choice, with leading edge systems for supervision, quality management and development. 

Refuge offers a variety of exciting opportunities to learn, develop and grow in your career. We recognise the value everyone brings to the organisation to achieve our aims and are dedicated to developing and rewarding our staff. More details of our benefits can be found in Job Information Pack.